 It is widely accepted among scholars and critics that the character of Horace in "Poetaster" represents Jonson himself, while Crispinus, who vomits up a pretentious and bombastic vocabulary, is Marston, and Demetrius Fannius is Dekker.Individual commentators have attempted to identify other characters in the play with historical and literary figures of the era, including George Chapman and Shakespeare — though these arguments have not been accepted by the scholarly consensus.It is generally argued that the play is more than a mere venting of personal spleen against two rivals; rather, Jonson attempted in "Poetaster" to express his views on "the poet's moral duties in society."